


La Rose de Minuit

by Starshine220



Category: Original Work
Genre: Character Death, Death, Explicit Language, F/M, Fantasy, Horror, Hunted Vampires, Magic, Monster Hunters, Monsters, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-06-22 03:35:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15572859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshine220/pseuds/Starshine220
Summary: *First original work on here. I'm terrible at summaries, by the way.*This tale of danger, romance, and vampires (not the sparkly kind or the spontaneously-combusting-in-the-sun ones) takes place in the country of Midnight. Ruled by a corrupt, human hierarchy and crawling with monsters, Midnight isn't the most ideal place to be, but it was once. Some seek to restore it to the way it once was and to put the rightful rulers back on the throne.But certain people must be found and certain things must be remembered before any of that revolution business can take place.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, my first original post on here. Kinda nervous to post this, not gonna lie.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, Lovelies!

     A woman screaming. Creatures growling. Rain pouring.

     Six figures struggled in a dark side-alley. Distant sounds of chatter came from one of the buildings, a large square window on the side of it lighting a hanging sign swinging in the wind:  _ Grim Hollow Tavern _ .

     One of the humanoid creatures was holding the woman tight, her back against its, as the other four figures circled them, their red eyes glowing hungrily. The one holding her had its wicked sharp teeth buried in her neck while another one darted forward, sinking its teeth into a wildly waving arm. The young woman screamed and struggled but was no match for their inhuman strength.

     They wrestled her to the ground, all five feasting upon her ravenously. She continued to wail in pain and fear, pleading for her life. But her pleas were drowned out by the pounding rain and the satisfied moans of the creatures as they drank her dry. Her struggling held no more strength, and after a few seconds more, she became still and silent.

     What looked to be the leader of the pack stood first, breathing rapidly. It threw its head back and cackled maniacally, the other four joining it as they felt the high of a feed. After they finally settled, they sprinted off into the darkness, leaving the broken corpse in the alley.

     Her brilliant white hair was being stained with the blood her murderers did not catch, and her golden eyes, which once would have been just as striking as the metal, were dull and lifeless, all the luster gone.

 

***

 

     Lucien startled awake, sitting up straight and quickly scanning the room. His instinct to fight began to fade when he realised he was at his desk in his office, not a threat in sight besides the amount of paperwork he had to do. He stretched and yawned, looking down at what he called the "organised chaos" that was his desk and picked up the paper he assumed he fell asleep reading. It was an appeal to reroute the irrigation system that supported the terraced farms around the settlement from a different spring, as the one they were currently using was beginning to run dry. He quickly skimmed it, deemed the new spring a safe location to be working around, and signed it with a flourish.

     He sighed as he looked at the other papers and appeals he was supposed to go over. "I swear, why did they all have to make me mayor? I've never liked doing paperwork," he muttered as he stood, crossing to one of the few large windows that didn't have the drapes drawn.  _ Well, I know exactly why, but still... _

     Lucien watched the small settlement he governed as the sun began to set. Most of the small houses were still dark, but a few had lights in the windows and smoke coming from the chimneys. A couple of shops had their doors open and lights on. Very few early risers walked about with their cloaks donned, most probably being farmers heading to check how their crops fared during the day.

     A flash of white hair and golden eyes in his mind made him jump. He shook his head at the sudden reminder of the dream, the gruesome scene playing out again and again. He was continuously drawn back to her eyes and hair, both features so familiar to him.

_      No _ , he thought, shaking his head again.  _ It couldn't be her. It's not possible... _

     Lucien continued to stare out the window, catching glimpses of his reflection in the glass. His blue eyes glanced at his own shockingly white hair, the mark of a Pureblood.

_      I can't take the chance of it being her... _

     "Thayne," Lucien called over his shoulder, not looking away from the town he'd been watching over for so many centuries.

     After a short moment, the door opened and a mountain of a man ducked through it. "Yes, master?" he said in a deep, rumbling voice.

     Lucien stood at a few inches above six feet and usually felt taller than most around, but when Thayne was anywhere near, he suddenly felt as tall as a child. The gigantic man stood at almost eight feet, all broad shoulders and beefy muscle. Lucien actually had to look up at such an angle when he spoke to his bodyguard, he'd usually get an ache in his neck after a few moments.

     Lucien looked up at Thayne, a half-smile on his face. "How do you feel about taking a trip to Grim Hollow?"


	2. Chapter One

          Renée shouldered her way through the door of the tavern, her cloak hiding her so that she didn't draw so much attention. Her hood was damp and heavy, but she didn't lower it even as she crossed to the bar to speak with the bartender. She waited at an empty end of the bar, closest to the door, while the man finished speaking with a few customers at the other end. After he gave the other patrons their drinks, he walked down to her end.

          "What'll it be, love?" he asked, his accent thick.

          She smiled fondly at him and said, "The usual, Curtis."

          After a moment, a glass half-filled with a dark liquid was placed in front of her. "Don' drink it too fast," he commented. "That stuff there could really kill ya."

          "I'm aware," she remarked with a smirk, sipping on her drink before reaching into her cloak. She produced a folded piece of paper and handed it over to the bartender.

          "What's the warrant for this time, love?" he asked even as he unfolded the paper and read it.

          "Just a couple of changlings. Nothing too difficult."

          "Ah, I'm sure nothin's ever too difficult for you, dearie. 80 cusps, eh? I'll run and get your 60, then," he said, folding the paper and stuffing it in his pocket.

          She groaned. "C'mon, Curtis. Don't tax me. Just this once, please."

          "I'm sorry, love. If I had any control of it, I wouldn't be taxin' any of the Hunters that come through my doors. But every Collector's got the government breathin' down their necks; they wouldn' hesitate to toss me in jail if I went and gave you those 20 Cusps. And you know that." Curtis had a sympathetic look in his eyes but a sternness in his tone.

          Renée sighed. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry I even said anything. Everything's just so shitty right now that it's hard to live off a Hunter's income," she said glumly, looking down at her drink.

          "I understand, dearie. I don' know why you chose to become a Hunter in the first place, but I suppose being kept under the government's thumb didn't seem so bad for you at the time. I'll go get your money." He started to walk off.

          "Hey, while your back there, snatch a good job for me, will you?" she called to him, getting a quick, "Will do!" in return.

          Renée took another few sips of her drink, the liquid burning its way down her throat. But she didn't mind the burn; it hardly even made her eyes water even more, and, most importantly, the drink helped ease the other pain from her day job. Her shitty, life-endangering day job.

          Curtis walked back down the bar with a sack of coins in his hand. He set it on the counter and looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, love. But there weren't any jobs worth your time back there. Nothing even over 40 Cusps. Looks like you'll be hittin' the road again soon."

          She gave a long sigh, shaking her head miserably. "Yeah, looks like it. Thanks, Curtis," she spoke as she stowed the brown bag under her cloak.

          There was a sudden ruckus from the back, where the kitchen and Collector's office were. Curtis' wife, Agnes, emerged in the doorway leading to the back, looking fretful as she waved her husband over.

          "Take care of yourself now, love. If you're still here by the time I deal with this, I'll have a drink with you 'cause I'm sure I'll need one." He hurried to his wife, both of them speaking urgently before they ducked into the back.

          Renée chuckled to herself, a strong feeling telling her that the cook had gone berserk again. The cook was a very touchy man apparently prone to great violence when someone smarted off to him or said something bad about his food. She had once asked why Curtis and Agnes kept the wild man around. He'd told her, "Honestly don' know, love. I suppose I'm too soft to fire him 'cause I know he wouldn' be able to find work anywhere else. Not with the way things are."

          Renée tensed when she sensed eyes trained on her back. She glanced over her shoulder to see a group of men surrounding the table in the back corner, but as soon as she did, they looked away and began whispering amongst themselves. She frowned as she took another sip of her drink but decided not to be concerned with the sense of danger she felt from them.

          She knew how to fight, and she knew how to fight very _well_. Also, she had helped out most of the people in the tavern, so she had a good amount of friends and backup should anything happen.

          So she ignored the feeling and instead began to think of where she should go next.

          She could try heading North, to the region of Vale. The marshes in the North-East of the region provided for prime hunting grounds. But they were extremely dangerous, and too far from the capital city of that region. She could try staying in the region of Dulane and head to the capital city, Acrine. Acrine was on the coast of Quartz Abyss and Amethyst Bay and aquatic hunts paid really well, but the city itself was crawling with monsters of a different kind-

          "Well, hello there, missy," a honeyed voice said from right beside her, making her startle from her thoughts and move over a bit. She looked at the man that had spoken, recognising him as one from the table in the corner. She regarded him with a suspicious look. "Now, what is someone like you doin' here?"

          "Trying to have a drink in peace. Doesn't seem to be working out though," Renée snarked, noticing the too-kind smile plastered on his face fall a bit before he recovered.

          "Well, I'm so sorry to bother you, miss. I really am. But this will only take a minute, promise," he said, a false sense of kindness in his tone.

          "What will?"

          His grey eyes sharpened and the smile turned into a sneer as he got even closer, practically whispering in her ear. "I saw that little exchange with the bartender. That sack of Cusps looked to be pretty nice, so hand it all over, along with everything else you got. We can do this nice an' easy, and no one's gotta get hurt."

          Renée rolled her eyes at him. "If that's your attempt at threatening me, you really need to work on it. Fuck off and let me enjoy my drink," she snapped as she turned back to face the shelves of bottles behind the counter, taking another swig of her drink. She didn't even have to look to know the man wore a shocked expression.

          Apparently, he didn't stay shocked for long because as soon as she set her drink down, he grabbed her arm and jerked her around to face him. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" Her free hand immediately flew to the rapier at her hip but she didn't draw. She really wasn't in the mood to get Curtis' freshly mopped floors bloody.

          "Boy, you better be lucky I put my drink down because if you had spilled it, I would've turned you into a damn moron-kebab. Now let me go," she said firmly as she tried to twist her wrist from his grip. She frowned when he didn't even budge and suddenly realised the man was _much_ taller and stronger than her. But she didn't let it faze her, just continued to glare up at him even as her hood fell back.

          She watched as his eyes went wide in surprise when he saw her white hair, a wicked smile breaking out onto his face. Renée glanced over his shoulder to see that Curtis still hadn't returned from the back and that no one else had noticed the altercation. _So much for backup..._

          "My, my, my. Aren't you a beauty. That hair's a hell of a rarity, and with those pretty blue eyes... You know, we might just take you around back. The boys and I have have been gettin' pretty hungry lately and you'd make the perfect meal," he said, licking his lips.

          Renée ignored his words, tried not to think too hard about what he meant. She just continued to glare daggers at him. "Let me go," she snapped again, her hand tightening on the hilt of her sword.

          The man had started to laugh, but stopped when he glanced up. She didn't know what he was staring at, but it was obvious it scared him.

          "The young lady told you to let her go. I'd suggest you do that before things get ugly," an impossibly deep voice spoke from behind her. She realised that the entire tavern had gone silent, but didn't turn around to look. She just kept on glaring. "You don't want things to get ugly, do you, boy?"

          "N-no, sir," the man said nervously, immediately dropping her wrist. Renée still didn't turn around, just folded her arms.

          "I believe I also told you to fuck off and let me enjoy my drink. So, run along now," she snarked.

          The grey-eyed one scurried away, rushing out apologies as he went. The other men at the table all looked nervous as well.

          "Are you alright, miss?"

          "I'm fine, thank you. I appreciate-" She turned around, only to come face to face with the lower half of a torso. Renée frowned, looking up slowly. A burly man with shoulder blade length, black hair and a trimmed beard was looking down at her, dark eyes watching her inquisitively. "-the help."

          "You're quite welcome, miss," he said. His formal attitude threw her a bit; no one as dignified as him passed through Grim Hollow. Ever.

          The man was dressed in all black. A leather trench coat that probably would have reached a normal man's feet only reached just above his knees. He wore combat boots covered in mud, his black pants also splattered.

          "Ya know, you're really fucking tall," she commented weakly, feeling pretty intimidated. She doubted he'd try to do anything to hurt her, considering he'd just saved her, but if he did try something, there'd be no fighting him.

_Wow, Renée. This world has messed you up so much now you're suspicious of anybody helping you._

          He gave a gruff chuckle. "Yes, I've had many people point that out to in my lifetime," he said. He leaned against the counter nonchalantly. "What's your name?"

          She eyed him suspiciously for a moment but eventually decided to trust him. Somewhat. "Laina Renée Grey, but just call me Renée. Yours?"

          "Thayne Lenoir. Do you want me to stick around? Until they leave?" he offered kindly.

          "Well, considering my only good friend in town is in the back probably dealing with a frying-pan wielding maniac, I definitely wouldn't mind the company."

          Thayne furrowed his brow. "A frying-pan wielding maniac?"

          "Long story."

          "Well, it seems like we've got a while until they finally decide to leave," he prompted.

          She smiled and began regaling him with the tale of how she'd nearly gotten a concussion the first time she tried to help calm the cook. And it was the last time she'd tried to help.

          He laughed, shaking his head. "This cook sounds like a friend I used to know. He was quite the eccentric as well." She noticed him glance over at the men and followed his gaze. They were still sitting there, still whispering. "Quite glued to those seats, aren't they?"

          "Yeah, unless they see someone they could mug."

          "My dear, they are much worse than simple muggers," she heard him mutter. She was going to ask him what he meant, but he cut her off before she could. "What do you do, miss? As your occupation, I mean."

          "I'm a Hunter," she answered.

          "A game hunter?"

          Renee shook her head with a smile. "A monster Hunter, with a capital ‘h’."

          "Ah, so you're employed by the government?"

          "Yep," she said, digging the official seal given to every Hunter out of her cloak. It was similar to a broach, made of sapphire with a silver rose engraved into it. It mimicked the image on the kingdom's flag.

          He watched the broach closely. "Couldn't you have just flashed it to that man accosting you? If he had any brain cells at all, he would've fled with his tail between his legs immediately."

          "I'm not fond of doing that. I feel it's an abuse of power to use your position to cause fear or gain respect born from fear," she explained. "I've had other Hunters try that on me, and it doesn't really end very well for them. I'm also not fond of being bullied into compliance, a fact I teach them with extreme prejudice."

          "I'm guessing that means you value others for their skills and actions, rather than their status."

          "Precisely."

          "What kinds of monsters do you hunt, Renée?" he inquired. She could see an unidentifiable expression in his eyes.

          "Anything that pays well, honestly. In these towns, it's really just small stuff; changelings, ghouls, even the occasional minotaur. Sometimes, though, the government will send me larger bounties, such as dragons, gryphons. I fought a cockatrice once, too. I've got a few scars to prove it," she said. "Causes problems with me staying in one place. I've always gotta follow the work."

          Thayne hummed thoughtfully. "That has to be quite a large bounty if the government is handing it out. Enough to let you live comfortably for a lifetime. Why are you still having to work as a Hunter?"

          She scoffed. "Not meaning to be rude, but have you been living under a rock? Everyone knows how often and heavily Hunters are taxed. They take away a pretty good chunk of our pay, giving us just enough to survive off of. It's how they keep control over us because they know most of us can't just quit to find another job. There are really no other jobs put there right now."

          "Hmph. I hadn't realised the government had become so wholly corrupt. They're practically keeping you Hunters enslaved with that method," he muttered bitterly.

          "Seriously, where have you been all this time? The government has been the same since before I was even born." She watched him with a raised eyebrow, thinking he was crazy.

          He seemed to be considering his words carefully. "You could say I've been out of touch for a while. I don't exactly live somewhere news travels fast."

          "So, you either _have_ been living under a rock or living up in the mountains somewhere," Renee commented, shaking her head.

          "You're not wrong." A moment of silence passed between them before he suddenly looked over her shoulder. Actually, he was tall enough to be looking clear over her head. "Guess what."

          "What?"

          "Your buddies are leaving," he said, motioning to the group of men. She looked over as well and watched as they left, feeling a tinge of relief. There was still a sense of apprehension in the air, nevertheless. Renee saw Thayne shake his head in her peripheral vision. "What are their kind even doing here?" he whispered to himself.

          "What?"

          "Nothing," he said quickly. "I suppose this means I'll be leaving, too, then."

          Renee looked down the bar. Curtis had come back out a few moments prior, seeming a tad flustered; he was tending to a couple of impatient customers that had low drinks. He was probably going to be occupied for a while.

          "Actually," she started, still watching the bartender bustle around, "I wouldn't mind it if you stayed for a little while longer. Having someone to speak with is much more enjoyable than drinking alone. That is, if it's not an inconvenience."

          The feeling of apprehension nagged at Renee, making her anxious at the thought of being alone. What if they came back in? What if they waited for her outside? What if, what if, what if? She knew it'd be difficult to take on all five men. Her specialty was fighting predictable monsters; humans, on the other hand, were something she wasn't very experienced with because they were too erratic in their actions. One person might not have been a challenge, but five? She’d definitely have a problem on her hands.

          Thayne thought for a moment and gave a small smile. "It's not an inconvenience at all, Miss Renée. There's not much else to do in this town; talking with you saves me from an evening of boredom.”

          “Miss Renée?” She laughed. “What is someone like you, dressed as if you just came from a military base and being so well-spoken, doing here in Grim Hollow?”

          “I am simply a servant following his master’s orders, Miss,” he said humbly, leaning against the counter again. He gave a slight wave to flag down Curtis.

          “Huh, that only sounds a tad weird. Judging from the looks of you, I’d hate to meet your master. No telling how terrifying he is,” she muttered. His smirk and chuckle told her that he’d heard her, but Curtis came over before he was able to say anything.

          “What’s your poison?” he asked with a smile, sending a sideways glance at Renée.

          “Whatever the lady’s having, sir,” Thayne said.

          “Be careful with this stuff, big guy,” she said, finishing her glass. “Udrillian Brandy can legitimately kill you if you drink it too fast.”

          “Udrillian Brandy?” His eyebrows rose as the bartender set the glass down in front of him. “Isn’t that quite expensive?”

          “We import it just for her,” Curtis commented, jerking a thumb towards Renée. “It’s pretty much the only thing the girl drinks, which means we always get a profit out of it when she comes around. A few other locals have tried it, but they’re usually smashed by the time they finish their first round. This one’s record is eleven rounds because she’s-”

          “-not a lightweight.”

          “-got a death wish,” Curtis finished, rolling his eyes at her. He sent a cursory glance around the room before looking back to her.

          “Ironic,” Renée thought she heard Thayne mutter, but didn’t say anything, simply dismissed it.

          “Ever’thin’ all right, love?” He sent a sly, meaningful glance at Thayne.

          “Yeah, everything’s fine. But everything would be ten times better if you’d fill my glass back up,” she said sweetly as she smiled and held the glass up.

          He rolled his eyes at her again but filled the glass anyway. “It’s a wonder you aren’t already in the ground, Renée. One of these days, your recklessness with drinking or fighting will be the death of you.”

          “Thank you very much for the drink and the lecture, mother. This is why you’re my favourite bartender-”

          “-and Collector-”

          “-and Collector in Midnight.”

          “Damn right, I am. Enjoy your drinks.” Curtis hurried off as another customer came in.

          “I like your friend. Seems to care for you quite a bit,” Thayne said as he took his first sip of the drink. He coughed a bit before clearing his throat. “Stronger than I expected.”

          She laughed and then sighed, a small smile at the corners of her lips. “I’ve known Curtis and Agnes for the past few years. Everytime I come to Grim Hollow, they don’t hesitate to give me something to eat and drink. Agnes is a sweet little lady who constantly tells me to be careful on my hunts and constantly scolds me while she’s patching me up. And they always offer a place to stay in their home, but I don’t ever take them up on it. I usually stay in the inn.”

          “Why?” he asked, taking another sip.

          Renée stared down at her drink for a moment while she thought, fiddling with the rim. “I guess I don’t want to be a bother to them; as much as I try to tell them no, they’ve always been very adamant on keeping me fed and patched up, and I hate that they go out of their way to do that. So I’m not going to impose in their home. Besides, I feel that staying there would make it harder to say goodbye, especially knowing that…” _I could never come back again._ She cleared her throat and laughed nervously. “Sorry, don’t know why I started rambling. Must be the brandy.”

          “There is no need to apologise, Miss. Feel free to ramble as much as you want; I will listen.”

          “Actually, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself. What do you do for this master of yours?” she asked, taking a gulp of her drink and regretting it as her eyes began to water.

          “Well, most of the time, I’m his bodyguard, though I doubt he even really needs one. You were right earlier. He can be extremely terrifying. But usually he is kind. He’s always sure to take care of his people and protect them no matter the cost.”

          “He sounds like a nice man.”

          “He is. We have been good friends for a long time. My people and I admire him and everything he has done for us,” Thayne spoke with a reminiscent smile on his face. “The times I am not being his bodyguard, I am running errands for him, like right now.”

          “What is this errand he’s asked you to run?” she inquired curiously.

          “All I can say is that it involves those men from earlier. They aren’t all they appear to be and are quite dangerous. So you be careful, Renée.” Thayne’s eyes held such sincerity and concern that she could do nothing but nod obediently.

          “I’ll be careful. But I suppose it won’t matter by tomorrow. I’ll be long gone when the sun rises.”

          She and Thayne spent the next couple of hours talking idly about the pressing matters of the world. Midnight’s shit economy, the threat of revolt from the Ammexans in the far East, the possibility of another war between the countries of Elfana and Ire on Midnight’s Eastern border, and of course the everpresent monsters that were beginning to grow so large in numbers, they were able to overrun towns. And all the while the ruling family sat comfortably in the country’s capital city of Lunaris, dancing at balls and not caring about their people.

          Renée had just finished a rant about how corrupt all the noble families had become, fueled by Curtis continually refilling her drink and sighing disappointedly, when Thayne suddenly looked out one of the windows, something apparently having caught his eye.

          “What’s wrong?” she asked, looking as well. But all she saw was darkness and rain. It was always raining in Grim Hollow.

          “It seems I have to go, Miss Renée,” Thayne said slowly, still looking out the window, a troubled glint in his eyes. “Enjoy the rest of your night. And be sure to stay safe.” He looked at her then, sounding almost as if he was warning her.

          “O-okay,” she stuttered, thrown by the sudden serious demeanour. “You be safe as well.” Renée watched him leave and glimpsed him pass by the window he’d been staring at so intently. An ominous, dangerous feeling curled in the pit of her stomach.

          “You gonna be heading out soon, too, love?” She jumped at the sound of Curtis’ voice behind her. He raised a questiong brow at her. “You all right, dearie?”

          She cleared her throat and nooded quickly, trying to ignore the looming dread. “Yes, yes, I’m fine. I’ll probably leave after I finish that glass,” she said, motioning to the one Curtis was refilling.

          “You know you’re welcome to stay with us, love,” he said as he pushed it back across the counter to her and began pouring a drink of his own. “We have an extra bed for you.”

          “I’ll only be getting a few hours of sleep, and I’ll be leaving early in the morning. I’ll stay at the inn so I don’t disturb you guys.”

          Curtis grunted and shook his head but didn’t say anything as he scanned the tavern and its few remaining patrons. He looked back at her after a moment. “Where will you go this time?”

          “Honestly, I haven’t got a clue.”

 

***

 

         Thayne scanned the dark streets quickly, searching for the man he had seen in the window staring at Renée. He had recognised him as one of the creatures Lucien had said to protect her from, but it had disappeared into thin air by the time he had left the tavern. He could only continue to search along the streets and hope he found them before they got to her.

         While he looked for the creatures, he thought about the young woman. She was human, despite having the characteristics of a Pureblood. He could smell that much. She carried the same scent as every other human, but at the same time, it was different. _Fake._ As if it was trying to mute something else. And then there was the fact that she hadn't sensed what he or the other men were; all Purebloods had the power to know when Fledglings and other Purebloods were nearby. But she hadn't shown any sign of knowing.

         While she might have looked like the queen in almost every way, even had her first name, Renée didn't have those distinctive golden eyes. So this girl couldn't have been the same woman. Lucien must've been wrong, but that didn't mean Thayne was just going to defy his orders and let the innocent woman die. Especially not at the hands of some rabid Fledglings.

         He had been clear across town when a scream ripped through the quiet night, the only other sound having been the rain hitting the cobble streets. Thayne whipped around and started sprinting towards it, knowing that if he didn't weave through the mazes of back alleys fast enough, Renée could very well lose her life.

         It didn't take long to find them; all he had to do was follow the heady scent of flowing blood. They must have ambushed her and dragged her into the alley behind the tavern. They had her on the ground and her attempts at struggling were nothing to their enhanced strength.

         Thayne rushed towards them, hauling a scraggly, redheaded creature from her and throwing it against the brick wall as it flailed wildly like an animal in his grasp. The sickening crunch its skull made caused the four other creatures to stop and look up, glistening fangs bared. They hissed at him, eyes a wild red after their feed.

         All it took was Thayne baring his own fangs and growling before they were scurrying for the hills. He didn't have time to kill them all; Renée didn't have that kind of time. Letting the dead body of the redheaded creature drop to the ground, he rushed around her, able to hear the faintest heartbeat even from a few feet away.

          She was unconscious and her breathing was shallow. Her dark clothes were ripped in places and deep bite marks could be seen through them. But Thayne’s main concern was what look to be the deepest bite right over an artery in her neck. The blood was flowing heaviest there and he knew she would die soon if he couldn't staunch it.

         Moving as quickly as he could, he tore some thick cloth from his own shirt and applied pressure to the wound on the side of her neck. It took several moments but finally the blood flow slowed enough to give him time to move her. He gingerly lifted the near-dead woman up, trying to hurry without jostling her as much as possible. He needed to get her to his horse outside of town so he could take her to Darkwell.

         Thayne hurried through town, the rain coming down harder. When he finally reached the edge of the forests surrounding the town, he could see the massive beast waiting for him in the shelter of the trees. Just as he went to lift her onto the horse, she groaned and her eyes fluttered open for only a second.

         Instead of a light blue, they were golden.

         Lucien had been right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter Two

         Thayne rode through the Ivorywood as hard as he could without jostling the unconscious woman in his arms too much. The creamy white trunks of the trees passed in a blur, the blue leaves above replacing the evening sky.

         He pulled up on the reins, slowing the horse, as he approached the almost invisible path to Darkwell. He efficiently navigated the thick underbrush, occasionally having to push a branch out of the way with his free hand. He had asked Lucien long ago why he had allowed the drive up to the manor to become so overgrown, and he had simply told him that it was safer. It made it much more difficult for Hunters and the like to stumble across the small village of Darkwell, securely tucked away in the mountains.

         The sun had already set by the time the wrought iron gates came into view. Darkwell was surrounded by a stone wall, and not long after the vampires had settled there so long ago, a sturdy walkway was built along it for sentries to keep a lookout. One of the two sentries standing atop the wall spotted him and shouted, “Open the gates!” while the other quickly disappeared.

         The large, heavy gates were dragged open enough to let him through, then were immediately shut again. The sentry who had seen him approached, looking no older than twenty. His young face paled when he saw the limp woman in Thayne's arms, obviously having caught the overwhelming scent of blood.

         “Fetch the physician,” Thayne ordered as he dismounted his horse smoothly, despite having to be sure not to hurt Renée further. He'd stopped once he had put some distance in between them and Grim Hollow to bandage her wounds and make sure she was mostly stable. Over the past three days, she had developed a fever which only worsened with time, and she hadn't woken even once. “Tell her to come to the mayor’s home at once. And you there, take my horse to the stables and make sure he gets plenty of water and food.”

         “Thayne!”

         He turned immediately at the sound of his master's voice, becoming ramrod straight out of habit. Lucien was rushing towards him, the other sentry who had left the wall not far behind him. The sentry veered off to return to his post.

         “What happened out there? Did you find-” Lucien stopped dead in his tracks, eyes honed in on Renée. It took a moment for him to find his voice again, but when he spoke, he sounded strained. “By Lalune, it's her…”

         “Sir, she's wounded. We have to get her to the Main House as soon as possible.”

         That seemed to snap him back into action. “Right, you're right. I'll take her up there while you wait for the doctor. Then you're to fill me in on everything.”

 

**~~~**

 

         Renée felt odd. Weightlessness and heaviness affecting her body at the same time, creating a sort of numb feeling. Silence so thick that she thought she might have gone deaf enveloped her. She couldn't tell if her eyes were even open or not, for darkness completely surrounded her, almost seeming to choke her.

         An eternity seemed to pass, her suspended in nothingness, before she heard a voice breaking the silence.

         “You must stop fighting your true blood, my child.” It was a woman’s voice, calm and soothing, causing Renée to relax only slightly. Another long while passed before a figure appeared in the endless darkness, and Renée assumed that she was the owner of the voice.

         The stunning woman shined brightly, a soft smile on her pale face. Her hair was the creamy colour of the sacred Ivorywood, elegantly piled atop her head, and her eyes were molten gold. A regal purple chiton reached her ankles, the fabric loose and airy with a small, gilded leather belt around her waist. The woman felt oddly familiar and her mere presence comforted Renée further.

         “I had not expected to see you twice in the same century, Laina. I did not bring you back just for you to die young,” she said in a lilting voice, golden eyes watching her with sympathy and sadness. “You are far too important to die now. You must stop fighting this. All you have to do is let the darkness take you; if you do not, you will end up killing yourself in the living world.”

         Renée had no idea what the woman was talking about, didn't know what she meant by “let the darkness take you.”

         “Where am I? Who are you?” Renée was startled by how echoey her own voice sounded while the other woman’s was clear as crystal.

         “I am your mother-goddess, Laina. I am Lalune. As for where we are, we are currently in between the world of the living and the world of the dead, a realm known as the Shift. Here is where a soul's fate is decided. One can either sit here while their body dies or they can fade back into the darkness and return to their body. And that is what you must do, my child. You must return to the darkness.” The goddess seemed adamant, but Renée focused on the fact the woman before her was a _goddess._

         “My...mother-goddess? But Lalune is the patron goddess of vampires, and I am _not_ a vampire,” Renée stressed. “I'm human.”

         “No, you are not truly human. You were pretending to be human. It was not by your own doing, though. A seal was placed on your vampiric soul when you were no more than an infant, so you have lived this life as a human while you were actually a Pureblood. But not just any Pureblood.”

         “What do you mean?” she asked, her throat suddenly dry.

         “You are my daughter, by blood. I should say, your soul is. You have more of my blood in you than any other existing Pureblood. You are currently my only living child, currently the only that could share my soul.” Once again, Renée could see such a strong sadness in those captivating eyes. It was enough to make her heart clench. “So please, take a mother’s request, and relax. Let the darkness take over, allow your true soul to return.” Lalune stepped forward, raising her hand to Renée’s face. Her hand just barely grazed her cheek, but a calming warmth radiated from the goddess. “Please, Laina.”

         Renée allowed her eyes to close, and suddenly, she was falling. The warmth rapidly disappeared; the light radiating from the goddess quickly leaving as well. She hit something, and the wind was knocked from her chest.

         Her eyes shot open and she gasped, her heart pounding. She took a moment to steady her breathing, already struggling to remember the dream. Her eyebrows furrowed when she realised she was in a warm, soft bed, the plush, intricately designed comforted wrapped around her. The canopy above the bed was a sky blue with thin, gold-threaded swirls inlaid in the fabric, four thick, cream-coloured posts holding it up.

         Renée sat up slowly, a dull ache in her body as she took in her surroundings. The lovely bed sat in a room of matching elegance. The walls were painted a light blue, the borders a bright white. She leaned off the bed to look up at the ceiling; a mural took up the space, angels and clouds and golden instruments all masterfully painted.

         She tore her eyes away from the beautiful painting to scan the other furniture in the room. Everything was made from the same creamy white wood: the dresser, the vanity, the armoire, the bookshelves, the small table and chairs in the corner. Each piece was intricately designed, little swirls, leaves, angel wings, and birds carefully carved into the wood. The room left her in awe but also with a sense of confusion. It all felt too...old?

        She could easily tell that it was all antique, all centuries old, but she couldn't imagine _anyone_ in Midnight having enough money to afford it all, not even the high nobles. The royal family maybe, but even that was unlikely with the amount of debt they were in.

         Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her rapier leaned against the nightstand and breathed a sigh of relief at having the security of her weapon near her. When Renée looked down, she  realised that she was wearing an expensive looking nightgown of a pale gold.

          _Dear gods, where am I? And how did I even get here?_

         She jumped when the door opened, and, without a second thought, she grabbed and unsheathed her sword and was across the room in seconds, holding the blade to the throat of the man who had entered. She had to admit, she was quite surprised at her reaction and her speed but decided not to question it, just focused on the man in front of her.

         She narrowed her eyes when he didn't even flinch, merely leaned back against the door and muttered, “Well, I hadn't expected you to be able to do that so quickly, but I suppose it's a good sign.” She had opened her mouth to speak before he beat her to it, shifting slightly to look at where she was gripping the sword, white hair just barely falling in his deep blue eyes, ones that seemed so strangely familiar to her. “You might want to put that down, seeing as you probably wouldn't want to scar your hands.”

         Renée furrowed her brow but followed his gaze, being sure to watch him out of the corner of her eye. When she saw her hands, and the smoke coming off them, the burning pain registered and she gasped, dropping her sword and causing a loud clatter on the hardwood floor. She quickly backed up a couple of steps, staring at the red burns on her hands that were steadily growing lighter.

         She flinched when the man so very gently cupped her hands in his, obviously examining the damage, but didn't give in to the knee-jerk urge to pull away.

         “No permanent harm done,” he said kindly as he dropped her hands and straightened back up. “It should be completely healed in a few minutes.”

         Renée frowned down at her hands and then up at the man. _That's just not possible…_ “How? This should take days to heal, not minutes.”

         He looked as if he was about to tell her but seemed to quickly change his mind, shaking his head. “It doesn't matter right now; I'll explain later. However, make sure not to pick up any mortal-made weapons from now on, not even with gloves on. They'll still burn you. Another thing that I'll have to explain later…”

         Renée shook her head, trying to physically shake away her confusion, but it didn't work. She backed up a couple more steps while wringing her hands, the skin not even stinging. “Who are you? Where am I? How did I even get here?!” she asked rapidly, her voice verging on frantic.

         “Hey, hey, hey,” he started soothingly, extending his hands in a placating gesture. “It's okay. You're safe here.”

         She looked him up and down, swallowing thickly and continuing to wring her hands nervously. The man was about a head taller than her, standing with perfect posture. He held an air of regality, something that seemed to command respect. But at the same time, at least while he stood before her, he radiated kindness.

         His white hair nearly reached his shoulders, swept to the side with a few loose strands making it seem endearingly messy. He wore a deep maroon overcoat that reached just above his knees and black, leather riding boots that came over black pants to his mid-calf. She spied a silver chain around his neck beneath his coat and wondered what could be on the other end.

         When he spoke, his voice was deep and lilting, with what sounded like a touch of an old world accent. _Like how they speak in the capital…_

         “I'm Lucien Harte,” he said, dragging her from her thoughts. “You're in Darkwell, a small town in the Prisma Mountain Range. Hopefully, you've never heard of it; we're not on any maps. Can you tell me the last thing you remember before you woke up?”

         “The Prisma Mountain Range?” She ignored his question, his odd wording, shaking her head and furrowing her brow. “But that's… that's in the Vale! I was in Dulane,” she fretted, confusion filling her mind. “How did I get _here_?”

         Lucien ran a hand through his hair, tousling it even more. “Listen, I just need to know what you remember. I know you're confused, but I swear I'll explain everything.”

         Renée hesitated, frowning as she tried to remember, finding everything fuzzy. “I'd just finished a hunt in Grim Hollow. I went to the tavern to collect my payment, and then this man came up to me, threatened me for my money. I pretty much told him to go screw himself,” she explained quietly, slowly, not missing the shadow of a smirk that swiftly crossed his lips.

         “Then he grabbed me. I was halfway to skewering him when someone else stepped in. The other guy got scared and hurried off....” she trailed off, her frown deepening as she struggled to remember the latter part of the night. “The man, Thayne was his name, he stayed with me until the men left.”

         “Men? As in more than one?” Lucien interrupted.

         She nodded. “Yes. There was whole group of about five, I think. A while after that, Thayne left, too. I headed to the inn some time after midnight, and…”

         Lucien raised an eyebrow as she went quiet. “And?” he prompted gently before she swayed back heavily, him rushing forward to help her sit on the bed. He wore a frown of concern as she struggled to get the words out.

         “I-I was attacked. By the men. They caught me off guard.” A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered their teeth, their eyes, the _pain_ … “They weren't even human. They were monsters…”

         “They were a rogue group of vampires, Laina,” he informed her quietly, the sound of her name startling her from the memories of the attack.

         “How do you know my name?” she snapped, a sharp, suspicious edge to her tone.

         “Thayne told me,” he answered after brief hesitation; she narrowed her eyes at how he’d seemed about to say something different. “He brought you here after he scared off the vampires. You've been out for the past five days; there were several times we thought you wouldn't make it.”

        Her shoulders slumped and she cradled her head with her hands.  She just barely felt Lucien sit on the end of the bed, remaining patiently quiet.

          _Five days? I've been unconscious for five days? But they did so much damage; there was so much blood… How is it that other than being sore, I'm perfectly healed?_

         “I don't get it,” she whispered suddenly, raising her head to look at him. “It felt like they _tore me apart_ . It's not possible for me to have healed in _five_ days. I've gotten injured that badly before, and I know for a _fact_ that this isn't possible, not even with magic.”

         Lucien sighed, hands clasped loosely together between his knees. “Laina, I have to tell you something important, but I need to ask just a few more questions before I do so I can explain it to you clearly. You'll have all your answers then, I swear.”

         “I go by Renée, not Laina,” she said instinctively, having become accustomed to correcting people on it.

         “Okay, Renée,” he started, and she caught just the smallest flash of sadness in his eyes. “You're surname is Grey. Does that mean you’re an orphan?”

         She nodded minutely, feeling her a corner of her lips twitching into a tiny half-frown. “Yes,” she said quietly, nodding. “I was born in Exeter, but apparently there was a bandit raid on it soon after. Both my parents were killed. Somehow, I survived and someone left me at the little monastery in eastern Atica. I spent the first fifteen years of my life there. These last six years, I’ve just been trying to survive as a Hunter.”

         Lucien looked contemplative for a moment, frowning just a bit and furrowing his eyebrows. “Bandits in Atica? That doesn’t sound right,” he murmured.

         She sighed. “Apparently both you _and_ Thayne are out of the loop. You can’t go anywhere in Midnight without hearing of recent bandit or monster activity, and you’re lucky if you don’t run into them yourself. The government hires Hunters to deal with the monsters, but they don’t really make that much of an effort with either threat. Can’t really complain much though, considering the government is my employer.”

         “Yeah, well, I haven’t really gone far from Blackwell in a while. Haven’t had to. But the fact that you were raised in a monastery makes what Thayne said and what happened make more sense, especially if they worshipped the new gods,” Lucien remarked, raising a questioning eyebrow her way.

         She nodded but didn’t say anything, waiting for him to continue.

         “Alright,” he breathed, seeming to nod to himself. “Alight, La-Renée, this isn’t the easiest thing to tell you, considering how you’ve apparently lived your entire life as a human, but you are a vampire. A Pureblood vampire.”

         She just stared at him, knowing that she should feel surprised, disgusted, _something_ . Vampires were monsters, something that terrorised people, something she’d get a warrant to hunt, something that would pay _well_ because of the danger they posed. She’d read about how others became vampires; there had to be transference of blood from both subjects. She hadn’t been able to wound any of the ones that had attacked her, so _how_ was she now a vampire? And what was a Pureblood? She’d never heard of them.

         “Um…” Lucien was frowning at her, a mix of concern and bewilderment etched into his features. “You’re not exactly reacting the way I had expected, but I suppose this is...good?” He paused for a second but cleared his throat when she stayed silent. “You said you were raised in a monastery, so, more than likely, the monks were able to tell that you were a Pureblood in infancy and placed a seal on your soul to hide it. It must’ve suppressed your powers and the real colour of your eyes. You were so close to death that your vampiric soul fought through the seal to try and protect and heal you; over the past five days, it’s been trying to break the spell. I don’t know what kind of magic those monks used, but it must’ve been _extremely_ str-”

         “The real colour of my eyes?” she interrupted, her brow furrowing. She could feel wisps of panic setting in.

         Lucien looked at her as if he was scared she was about to break. “Okay, I’m kind of concerned that you’re honing in on that rather than everything else I’m telling you.”

         “I tend to do that when I’m stressed, focus on the little details so I don’t absolutely lose my mind,” she whispered, her voice sounding strained. She bit the inside of her lip to stop it from quivering; her hands were shaking, so she gripped the side of the bed. Lucien had obviously noticed the small movements.

         “Alright, I think we need to stop here for today. We can just finish this talk tomorrow. You get some rest, try to calm down. The doctor will be here in just a bit. Would you like me to stay until she gets here or-”

         Renée cut him off with a sharp shake of her head. “N-no,” she bit out, the word harsher than she had meant them to be. “I just- I cope better alone,” she amended, looking down at her lap, gripping the bed so hard that her knuckles were turning white. She felt the bed shift as he stood. “Please, just go.”

          “Renée.” She looked up to see him standing at the door watching her, his hand on the knob. He looked _so_ worried that it made something suspicious yet familiar curl in her chest. _I swear I’ve seen that look before, but how? I only just met him…_ “It may not seem like it right now, but everything will be alright. It’ll start to make sense. It’s just going to take time.”

         He left then, the door clicking shut. She ignored how much depth his words had, how there seemed to be so many unspoken things in those few sentences, and was off the bed in seconds, rushing over the vanity and clutching the sides of it when she saw her reflection.

         She looked almost identical to the woman in her dreams. The white hair was no surprise; she’d had that all her life, but… But now her eyes were a bright gold, and the colour almost seemed to shimmer and shift as if it was _alive_.

          _Oh dear gods, what is happening?_

 

**~~~**

 

         Lucien sank into his desk chair with a deep sigh, tiredly running his hands down his face.

         “So,” Thayne started from where he was seated on a crimson couch. The big man was mending L- _Renée’s_ clothes, working on a sash that matched the colour of the couch with deft hands. One of Lucien’s torn capes sat beside him, Thayne’s next task, even if Lucien insisted he could do it himself. “I take it things didn’t go very well.”

         “She’s panicking, and understandably so. I would be freaking the fuck out if I was in her place right now,” Lucien explained as he stared out the window into the town only lit by braziers and torches.

         “Lucien, you wouldn’t want your loyal subjects hearing you talk like that, now would you?” Thayne scolded, smirking as he set the mended sash aside and began working on the cape. Lucien levelled him with a glare that would make most men quake in their boots, but his bodyguard only chuckled. “You always have had a mouth on you, even back when you were-” Thayne stopped abruptly when Lucien narrowed his eyes at him. “Sorry, sir. So how much were you able to tell her?”

         “Just that she was a Pureblood. She didn’t really react when I said it but-”

         “Wait, you just told her? Just said, ‘Surprise, you’re a vampire?’” Thayne watched him as if he’d gone crazy.

         Lucien sat up straighter in his chair, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture. “Well, I wasn’t _that_ blunt, but what else did you expect me to do? It’s not every day that I have to tell someone they are something they’ve been taught to hate and apparently _hunt_ , especially not after they’ve lived their whole life as a human. In fact, this is the first time I’ve _ever_ had to do something like that! And it’s a million times harder because she’s…” He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, and slumped back into his chair.

         “She was raised in a monastery. They must’ve done something to hide her vampiric powers when she was a baby,” Lucien said quietly, absently staring at a spot on his desk. “I explained that to her as well.”

         “Does she seem to remember anything?”

         “No,” Lucien shook his head. “And I don’t know if she ever will. A Pureblood actually being reincarnated instead of just revived is _rare_ to say the least. I have no idea if she’ll have the same powers as before, or how to even begin to find out.”

         Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thayne frown. “Just give it time, Lucien. Surely she will begin to remember before long.”

         “That’s what I told her; just give it time,” he muttered as he stood and crossed to the windows. “It was so difficult seeing her again, Thayne. I just wonder what will happen if she does remember…”

         “Do you know this is the third torn cape this month?” Lucien smiled at his friend’s attempt to change the subject from heavy things. “This is honestly ridiculous, Lucien. _Why_ do you insist on wearing capes when you know they just get snagged on things?”

         “Why do _you_ insist on mending the capes when you know I will just continue to get them snagged?” Lucien retorted, rolling his eyes at his overly mothering friend. “You wouldn’t be complaining so much if you would just let me do it instead.”

         “And be subjected to seeing your horrible stitching? I think not,” Thayne laughed.

         “ _Excuse me_?!” Lucien snapped in mock offense but couldn’t help chuckling himself. He shook his head and sighed after a moment, trepidation for the next day and following weeks creeping in and taking over. “What are we going to do, Thayne?”

         Thayne stayed silent, for he did not have any good or comforting answers to give.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave feedback!! I love hearing what you guys think!


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